


Break free from the abyss

by CatLady86



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Sex, Water Sex, endgame spoilers, past trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-27
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2019-04-13 16:41:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14116563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatLady86/pseuds/CatLady86
Summary: Noctis comes to face a past fear by associating it with something good with the help of the man he loves.





	Break free from the abyss

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> I hope this is okay. :}

It had been over a decade since he last visited the Vesperpool and just as long since he had taken time to relax and fish. After being given a second chance at life, at the cost of his lineage and all the powers that came with it, he has been helping out the people of Lucis every and any way he can despite no longer being seen as its monarch; power has shifted to a republic where each of the regions have elected figureheads to represent them. But he has more than once worked himself into exhaustion and his friends have made the suggestion countless times for him to take a few days to de-stress. Noctis just brushes them off and continues on, both wanting to help more and trying to hide a problem he has been dealing with since the fight with Leviathan; he’s developed a fear of large bodies of water. Even just the thought of being near a lake gives him hives and make his knees quake. He wants to get over his fear, especially since it has stopped him from going on a few adventures with the others.

“Yo Noct,” Prompto calls to him, rushing over to his friend with a big grin. “we’re getting ready to take Wiz and the Chocobos back to his old farm, see about getting it back up and running. You wanna go, maybe even check out the area, take some photos by the lake? I heard it’s still gorgeous there.”

But all Noctis can think of is the murky water, sinking down and water filling his lungs. 

“I uh, can’t. I have something I need to finish here.” 

“Oh, okay. Maybe another time then.” Prompto says, looking slightly down but his cheery disposition kicks back in and he gives the other man a pat on the shoulder.

He hates hurting and lying to his friends and loved ones, but he just can’t stop the fear from gripping him like a vice and making him feel weak, plus he doesn’t want to be a hindrance and cause them any more worry. But unfortunately, that is the current position he finds himself in at the moment, looking like a scared animal backed into a corner as he looks across the Vesperpool. He should have never let Gladio talk him into taking a mini break away from Lestallum, having believed they were just heading to one of the old havens they used to camp at for old time sake. 

“Noct? You okay love?” the older man questions, brows creased in deep concern as he looks into wide blue eyes.

“I, I want to go back. Can’t do this.”

“Hey,” Gladio says tenderly, placing his large hands on the other man’s shoulders before gently cupping his face, rubbing his thumbs against his scruffy jaw. “it’ll be alright. I made sure there were no beasts around before we came here. You can waste the entire day away fishing in peace, just like you used to love doing.” 

“I can’t, I can’t Gladio.” Noctis begins to break down, pressing his face into his former Shield’s broad chest, weeping softly.

“Noctis? Hey, tell me what’s wrong. I don’t know what I should be doing if you don’t talk to me.”

Finally, Noctis gives in and tells him. “I, can’t stop thinking of that time, the fight with the Hydrean, about Luna and everything that happened. It, it makes me feel nauseous and like I can’t breathe.”

Gladio pulls him into strong arms, rubbing his back soothingly pressing multiple kisses to his head. “I’m sorry Noct, I had no idea. Here I was trying to do something to make you happy and all I did was upset you. I can take you someplace else if you’d like.”

Noctis purses his lips and furrows his brows. He was deathly afraid of going near the water, but too he does need to try and get over his fear. Plus Gladio did go out of his way to cheer him up and being at the Vesperpool does bring back many happy memories. But to the memory of sinking into the dark abyss rears its ugly head, remembering all the pain and misery, all the death. 

A loud splash from off in the distance startles the former King, him whipping his head to the side to look at what caused the noise. A fish jumps from the lake and splashes back down after seemingly catching an insect, drawing Noctis’ gaze to it, making him yearn for something he hasn’t done in over ten years. 

“Gladio,” Noct begins, looking up into warm golden-brown eyes. “I would like to stay here.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I may not get over my fear just yet, but I want to at least try.”

The older man smiles and gives a nod before pulling his love into a tight embrace. “And I promise to help you in any way I can.” 

The two men spend the rest of the day going for walks around the area and reminiscing. It was nice, especially since they never got to spend any time alone with one another since Noctis’ return, only getting to savor quick kisses or hugs before they are interrupted or called away to help with some matter. They conclude the day cuddling up together by the fire, having a quick meal and looking up at the stars before turning in. But Noctis would come to find out it’s not as easy to get over his problem as he hoped, waking up screaming from a night terror. Gladio pulled him against his warm body and cradled him, caressed his hair and softly hummed to him until he settled back to sleep. Morning comes and Gladio lets him sleep in, returning later and looking like a giddy little boy as he carries a white bucket.

“What did you do?” Noct asks, eyebrows raising as he glances to the bucket then to his companion. 

“Well since you’re not ready to go to the lake yet, I thought I’d bring the lake to you.” he says and sets down the bucket.

Noctis furrows his brows and leans forward, looking into the bucket and letting a loud snort out. “Seriously?”

“Yup.” Gladio says and hands him a tiny makeshift fishing rod. “Better hop to it and catch us some lunch.”

“Dork.” Noctis chuckles.

It does make him feel better, even though he’s sure he looks ridiculous using a stick with twine and a lure to catch small fish in a bucket. He does eventually “catch” the fish and helps in preparing them, making skewers for lunch, then the couple take another stroll but this time Noct decides to try and push himself a little. 

“Noct?” Gladio looks to his lover with concern as the man slowly inches towards the embankment.

Noctis stops a few feet away, looking out across the lake and taking a deep breath as the wind softly blows, his eyes close and he lets himself become entranced by the earthy smells. But a loud and sudden splash rip him out of his serene state and send him hurtling into the comforting arms of Gladio.

“It’s okay, I got you. It was just a frog jumping into the water.”

The former royal turns his head and sees the amphibian swimming about before glancing at a couple more that hop nonchalantly across the lakeshore, noting their oddly familiar color.

“Rainbow?”

“Yeah, the Professor bred the ones you brought her and then released them back into the wild. They’ve been doing quite well for themselves it seems.”

Noct gnaws at his lower lip and steps out of Gladio’s embrace, takes a couple breaths, and walks slowly towards the frogs. The older man keeps pace with him, watching for any sign that he should pull him back. Noctis tiptoes up to the frog and cautiously reaches down, snatching up the creature before it can leap away. It croaks grumpily as the man holds it, but otherwise stays put, even as it’s turned to face Noctis who smiles gleefully at it. 

“It’s nice to see that more things survived the dark time, gives me more hope that everything will mostly get back to how it once was.” he says and sets the frog back down, watching as it hops into the water. 

Gladio steps behind him and gently swaddles his body, pulling him down to where Noct sits in his lap and they look out over the lake, watching the wildlife move all around them. Tiny trembles begin to course through the raven-haired man, his skin becomes clammy and heart rate increases, feeling as though he’s being sucked into the water. But the feeling of slightly chapped lips and scratch of a beard against the nape of his neck makes him remember he is in the real world, and that he is safe. The two stay like this, with Noct leaning back into Gladio’s warm body, eyes closed and listening as the older man reads to him from a small book of poems he had in his back pocket before he slips off to sleep. 

He awakens later on, the sun beginning to set painting the sky a beautiful mix of pink and orange. But he quickly notices something is missing, or someone to be precise.

“Gladio?” Noct calls out but doesn’t get a response. So he makes his way from where they set up camp and continues to look for and call out to the other man. “Gladio!?”

A splash from the lake draws his attention, shakily heading over to see if it is Gladio. Sure enough, he sees the thick brown hair of his lover gliding across the top of the water before slipping under and going out of view. Noctis becomes antsy, palms going clammy and chest becoming heavy. Gladio still hasn’t surfaced and Noct goes into a full-blown panic attack. He begins to remember the darkness, about not being able to breathe, the feeling of being all alone. 

“Gladio!? Gladio!? Please, no!” he screams as he rushes over.

He can’t lose someone else, he doesn’t want to be alone, he doesn’t to be unable to save another he loves. But then the older man pops up, shaking out his long hair like a dog before looking back at land, seeing the horrified look of his companion.

“Noct, wha-”

Noctis falls to his knees and sobs uncontrollably. Gladio is out of the water in a flash, dropping down in front of him and pulling him close.

“I saw you go under and you didn’t come back up. I thought, I thought-”

“I’m sorry, gods I’m so sorry. I went for a walk around the bank and slipped in some mud, wanted to clean myself up before you saw me.” Gladio says and furrows his brows. “Dammit, I just making things worse.” 

He scoops Noct up in his arms and carries him back to their camp, setting him down on a mat before starting the fire and grabbing up a towel to help dry himself more before taking a seat next to the still trembling younger man.

“I’m sorry.” Noctis murmurs out.

“No it’s my fault. I should have just packed us up and gone someplace else when you told me about your fear.”

“I do need to learn to overcome it though, especially since there may be more times when we need to help rebuild near one. Plus I do truly miss fishing.” he says and then smiles. “And not the kind from a bucket.”

Gladio snorts and presses a kiss to his temple. “Then maybe we should try to associate the water with more happier things, instead of just despair.”

“How though, I do remember all the times spent fishing but it just gets blotted out by all the bad memories.”

“I’ll think of something. And it should be done slowly.”

Noctis looks to his love and smiles fondly, feeling as though things may just work out. The next morning is spent just like the prior, them going for a walk and exploring but this time they try something new. They kick off their shoes and roll up their pant legs, with Gladio wading into the water first then turning back and extending his hand out to his boyfriend. Noctis stares at the hand with nervousness but slowly moves forward and takes hold, stepping cautiously into the shallow water. 

The two continue their walk, sticking close to the lakefront and stepping out when Noctis begins to tremble until eventually he’s had enough and starts to dry heave. Gladio walks him back to the campsite, makes him some relaxing tea and reads to him while caressing his back, with Noctis taking a quick nap that refreshes him greatly. He exits the tent and looks around, seeing that Gladio has vanished again, and the fear begins to creep through him. But it quickly vanishes when he sees the older man come into view while carrying a lantern now that the sun has begun to set. 

“Ah, you’re up, good.” Gladio says, a deep smile on his face. “I have a surprise waiting for you, if you’re up for it.”

“What is it?”

“All I can say is it’s down by the lake, or more specifically on the dock.” he tells him and holds out his hand. “If not, that’s okay, we can try another time.”

Noctis looks with slight apprehension at the offered hand, feeling the paranoia slowly creep back into him. But when he looks into the amber eyes of his companion, seeing the unconditional love and devotion that radiate from them, he knows he has nothing to fear and accepts. He is lead toward a familiar dock, the one where he caught the Noble Arapaima; it’s one of his fondest and most cherished memories. The shack by the dock is busted up but the actual dock is still in good shape, almost too good.

“You fixed the dock?”

“Yeah, when I was scouting it before I brought you here, I saw the wooden planks were rotted to shit, so I fixed it up. Thought it’d be a nice place for our first actual date in over eleven years.”

Noctis takes another look, seeing the lights strewn across guardrails that have been newly added, and sees at the very end of the dock a seating area with a picnic basket. 

He can’t help his excitement and pulls Gladio down into a kiss, wrapping his arms tightly around him and nuzzling their noses. “I love it.” 

“I’m glad.” Gladio replies and kisses him back. 

The lovers walk hand in hand to the end of the dock, taking a seat cuddled up as Gladio opens the basket. He takes out a bottle of wine along with two glasses and pops the cork out, filling the glasses up and handing one to Noct. He then takes out a container of sliced fruit and chocolate dip, setting it aside and picking up his wine glass. 

“You holding up?”

“Yeah, I am.” Noctis says with a smile and then takes a sip of his wine, cringing slightly. 

Gladio chuckles. “And I even made sure to get a sweet wine.”

“It’s just been so long since I drank last.” he says and looks up at the sky. “Been a long time for a lot of things actually.”

“Mmm hmm.” Gladio agrees and picks up a strawberry, dipping it into the chocolate and holding it up. “But you get to re-experience them all over again, so it’s not all bad.” he says and presents the fruit to the other man. “Here.”

Noctis allows the other man to feed him, his cheeks dusting a soft pink and letting a little chuckle out when Gladio teasingly pokes his cheek, smearing chocolate on it. The older man slowly licks it off, his warm tongue gliding across his cheek before lips press against him, kissing a trail down to his neck and making Noct moan. But Gladio stops and looks around while stroking his chin before he stands up and heads toward the broken down shack.

“What are you doing?”

“There’s an old radio around here, thought it’d be nice to have some music.”

“We can just use our phones.”

“I know, but the sound of the radio adds ambience.” he says and quickly heads inside. 

Noctis smiles and grabs up his wine, but stops and stares out across the lake, feeling his body begin to tremble. But then a sense of determination pours through him as the old radio is turned on, hearing an old twangy song about facing one’s plight with their love by their side, and decides he has to overcome his fear once and for all. Noctis stands and removes his shoes, looking down at the water and taking a few deep breaths as he pep talks himself. 

“Found it, not many channels come in but this should b-Noct!” he yells and drops the radio, rushing over just as the younger man jumps into the lake. He quickly kicks off his shoes and dives in after him, snatching him up and pulling him to the surface. “I got you.”

Noctis coughs and flails around before latching tightly onto Gladio’s front, his heart thumping rapidly and a heaviness weighing down his chest where it makes him feel as though he can’t breathe. But he begins to settle as he lays against Gladio’s chest, them floating slowly in the water with the only sounds coming from the radio and the croaking of the frogs. 

“You scared the hell out of me you know.”

“Sorry, I just, I thought this would help.” 

“You thought diving into a lake by yourself, knowing full well that you have panic attacks, would help?” Gladio says and then sighs deeply, reclining himself to where Noct lays flush atop his chest. 

“Yeah.” Noct says, feeling greatly foolish. 

But being held by his lover and floating lazily in the water is calming him down significantly, his fear being pushed to the back of his mind. He shifts himself further up Gladio’s form to reach his lips for a kiss and begins to feel a deep warmth in the pit of his stomach. Whether it’s a mix of adrenaline and longing, Noctis pulls back for a moment, giving the older man a carnal look and leans in again for a kiss with a quick nip to his lips. Gladio catches on and shifts them to where they both are leaned forward, Noct the wraps his legs around his hips and pulls him into a deep kiss. 

Hands explore about, the water making their movements languid, and begin to strip articles of clothing off that get tossed up onto the dock. Now that they are inhibited by their clothes, they are able to caress and explore more of each others’ bodies, feeling all the little blemishes from their years of battle and heartache. Gladio gently touches the scars on his lover's chest where the royal arms pierced him, presses his lips against the marred flesh and drifts back up to the other’s mouth.

“I love you.” he whispers against the soft lips of his former King.

“I love you too.” Noctis whispers back, carding his fingers through Gladio’s hair before cupping his face and kissing him passionately.

Large hands slide down Noct’s slender frame until they stop at his rear, giving them a soft squeeze that gets a moan from the younger man that turn into breathy gasps when a finger rubs against his entrance. But Gladio pulls away briefly, pulling himself up on the dock to grab a few necessities that will make what’s to come much easier for them both. 

“You planned ahead.” Noctis says, a cheeky smile on his face as he rests his head against the older man’s thighs. 

“Figured we could end the night with something we would remember forever, possibly help you to associate something good with water.” Gladio tells him as he slips a condom on and slathers it in a silicone based lube. He then reaches down and hooks his hands under Noctis’ body, hoisting him up and onto his lap. “Would probably be the best to prep out of the water first.”

Noctis gives him a nod and leans in for a kiss, then begins to pepper quick ones to his jaw and neck while giving little nips as Gladio slips a couple fingers into him. The two slip back into the water and begin to kiss needily, hands groping and slipping across each other before pressing flush against each other. Noct spindles his legs around Gladio’s middle, the older man cupping his ass with one hand as he guides his cock with the other, pressing up into his lover slowly, both letting out deep moans and gasps. 

The sensation of being in the water is strange at first, but just as when they were caressing over each others’ bodies, the slowness of their movements makes every little action feel amazing. Noct runs his fingers throughs Gladio’s thick hair, tipping his head back and kissing his lips as soft moans escape from them both as the larger man keeps rocking his hips, sliding out only a few inches before delving back in. Noct lulls his head back and lets out a deep gasp, eyes fluttering and letting his mind focus only on the sounds of their breaths, the song on the radio, and the subtle splashes from their movements. No longer is he thinking of darkness, being unable to breathe, and being alone; now all he sees is the soft glow from the strand of lights, feeling his chest tighten from pleasure, and feels the warm and comforting body of the man he loves pressed against him. Gladio presses kisses to the underside of Noctis’ scruffy jaw, before turning his face downwards to have access to his lips.

“Gods I love you.” he pants out, picking up his speed a bit more but not so much that it makes the water splash more

Sharp gasps and groans tumble from Noctis’ lips, face becoming flushed and eyes hazy. He buries his face into Gladio’s thick shoulder, letting out soft cries as his release draws closer. After a few more rolls of hips against his own, Noct lets out a deep gasp and arches his back, body shuddering as he comes. He rests his head lazily against Gladio’s shoulder, arms wrapped snugly around the older man and continues to softly moan as the other keeps thrusting into him until his orgasm hits, choking out a grunt and resting his head against his lover’s. The two pant softly, holding each other tightly as they slowly begin to come down from their euphoric high. 

“That was great.” Noctis says breathily, turning his head to the side to press a quick kiss to Gladio’s neck. 

“Yeah. Not really what I had in mind though but it all worked out.” Gladio says and lifts his head, cupping Noct’s chin and pressing a kiss to his lips. “Should probably head back to camp and get dried off by the fire, don’t want us catching a cold. That’d be a terrible way to end this trip.”

The lovers quickly grab up their soaking clothes and their gear and return to the campsite, bundling themselves up tightly and cuddling together by the campfire. They turn on some music and resume snacking on the food and wine Gladio prepared, taking brief moments to kiss and leave little love marks on each other. The little vacation did help Noctis with his fear a bit, he still does get shaky whenever he goes near large bodies of water, but ponds and lakes are no issue anymore, thinking back to the warmth and comfort of Gladio’s hold and the exhilaration of being made love too for the first time in ages.

**Author's Note:**

> If you like, come visit and chat with me on my [Tumblr](https://catlady1986.tumblr.com/)


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